UN Resident Coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee presents credentials to President Xi

Beijing, 14 April 2021 -- Siddharth Chatterjee, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, has presented credentials to the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, at a ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People today.

Mr Siddharth Chatterjee took office as the UN Resident Coordinator in China on 16 January 2021. The Resident Coordinator (RC) is the highest-ranking representative of the UN Development System. He is the designated representative of - and reports to - the UN Secretary-General. 

The arrival of the new UN Resident Coordinator in China coincides with the first year of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for the People’s Republic of China 2021-2025, jointly signed between the Government of China and the UN in China. The new UNSDCF will help China meet and respond to new opportunities and challenges presented by its post-2020 development landscape, while preserving gains in the following areas.

The UN in China congratulates China on its’ achievement in the eradication of extreme poverty and stands ready to support China in achieving rural revitalization in coming years. Commending China’s robust public health measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN in China also welcomes China’s commitment to make COVID-vaccines a global public good. 

Describing China’s recent pledge to achieve peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 as an ambitious agenda, the UN in China assures continued support and cooperation in fulfilling these targets. Understanding the impact of China’s international development cooperation, the UN in China now desires to share China’s development lessons through South-South Cooperation, focusing on Africa.

With this year marking the 50th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Lawful Seat of China in the UN, both sides understand the historical importance of the UN-China relationship and remain committed to the principles of multilateralism, as the two strive towards the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

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Mr Chatterjee has more than 25 years of experience in international cooperation, sustainable development, humanitarian coordination, and peace and security, which he has acquired at the United Nations and externally. 

Most recently, he served as United Nations Resident Coordinator in Kenya after holding other leadership positions across the organization, including Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Kenya, Regional Director for the Middle East and Europe for the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Denmark and Chief of Staff in the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). He also held leadership positions with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Indonesia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and United Nations peacekeeping operations with the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH). 

Mr Chatterjee has also served in the Red Cross Movement (IFRC) as the Chief Diplomat and Head of Resource Mobilization in Switzerland. 

Mr Chatterjee holds a master’s degree in public policy from Princeton University in the United States and a bachelor’s degree from the National Defence Academy in India.